Healthy Raspberry, Banana and Chocolate Chip Muffins!

Raspberry, chocolate and banana muffins

This is a recipe I created for http://celeryandcupcakes.com/2014/04/07/healthy-baking-competition-for-all-you-baking-enthusiasts-out-there/ and I'm actually really pleased with them! 

They still taste delicious  but you can feel slightly better about them due to there reduced sugar, reduced fat and addition of raspberries, banana, wholemeal flour and even dark chocolate has been proven to have health benefits. If you want, you can add a handful of nuts, orange zest, shredded coconut - the choice is endless!

Makes 12 muffins or 14 squares as I baked mine in these tins.

175g/6oz margarine

170g/4oz caster sugar

1tbsp honey

2 medium ripe bananas

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

250g/9oz flour (1/2 whole wheat ½ plain flour)

1 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

2 eggs

1 egg white

75g/4oz raspberries

50g/2oz dark chocolate chips/chunks

Preheat oven to gas mark 3/160 deg C/fan 150 deg C/325 deg F.

1. Place the margarine, sugar and honey in a saucepan over low heat stirring to melt. Leave to cool. Mash banana.

2. Sift the flour with the bicarbonate of soda and stir in about 1/3 to the melted margarine and sugar with a wooden spoon.

3. Whisk the eggs and white together until paler and foamy. Add ½ the beaten eggs.

4. Add another 1/3 of the flour mixture.

5. Add the rest of the beaten eggs, along with the mashed bananas, orange juice, zest and chocolate.

6. Fold in the last 1/3 of flour, followed by the raspberries.

7. Scoop into greased muffin tin and bake until well risen and a skewer comes out clean of the muffin. Approximately 20 minutes.

Love Vic x